Quil'midas
The Quil'midas, otherwise known as Virus QX-85, are an odious and rancorous composite species originating from the world of Rankoria, located somewhere in an unknown section of the Dragontooth Nebula. Known for their excessive violence against any species that enters their section of the Sea, the Quil'midas have maintained an unknown status quo thanks to their defensive nature on the "subject" of their holdings. Generally considered barbaric and mindless, the Quil'midas make few friends among their neighbors. Dedicated solely to their own survival and well-being the Quil'midas stalk their portion of the Dragontooth Nebula conquering or destroying anything that stands in their way. The Precursors seek to bring about unity of the mind and soul. Once when they were cruel and uncaring of their creations they gave them freedom of thought and action. And their creations turned on them, brought the Precursors down to their mortal level. But they have learned of how cruel they were. Now the Precursors seek to be kind and caring to their creations. They will unite the galaxy into one mind so that no suffering must occur, no needless destruction of life. Physiology All Quil'midas bug-like in apperance and biology. They lack a skeletal system and instead have rock-like, in both appearance and composition, carapaces that cover the majority of their bodies. Orifices and some sections on specific Quil'midas are not covered, these uncovered sections show off dark crimson muscles that constantly twitch and squirm around like thousands upon thousands of worms. The majority of the Quil'midas have more than one pair of eyes, with some having over thirty eyes. The Quil'midas exoskeleton is a composition of various materials harvested from other species buildings, vehicles, and ships. While some Quil'midas have stronger, thinner, or more agile exoskeletons all Quil'midas armor is capable of deflecting blunt attacks. What all Quil'midas share in common, no matter their differences, is that all their appendages are capable of wielding and making use of tools and no vestigal organs or limbs exist in their biology. Quil'midas biology makes use of every single portion of itself, nothing is wasted or left unused. Reproducing by method of Viral Infection, the Quil'midas Infection begins by unprotected contact with Quil'midas DNA. Thanks to the sophisticated reproduction method of Quil'midas Cells, the DNA will bond to the weakest links of those they infect. Over the course of several days the Quil'midas DNA will replace more and more of the infected Cell until the entirety of the cell is infected, than the process repeats on a new cell while the original infected cell continues to reproduce as normal. Once infection sets in totally, the Infected has become feral and the previous organism is lost to Oblivion. The exact mutations and biological changes that occur depend entirely on the organism infected, and the current needs and desires of the Precurors. In the event that numerous Quil'midas Cells converge on a non-biological item or species, infection occurs by the cells constantly multiplying until they form a web of Quil'midas flesh that seeps deep into the item's core. This method of infection allows the Quil'midas race to easily infect any worlds they chose to colonize. Just as the Virus QX-85 infests organic lifeforms, so to does it assimilate technology. Excluding necrodermis and wraithbone, even the most complex of machinery can be assimilated and absorbed by the advanced network that is a Quil'midas Axon Web. As the minature Axon Webs spread and assimilate the countless parts of the technology, so to does ''QX-85 ''infest the creators of this technology and in the wake of this infestation they assimilate any knowledge about the machinery. Artifical Intelligences, computer banks, and communication networks are corrupted and molded into logic hives. Each Quil'midas is controlled by their Precursor Kin, who seem to share their own seperate but connected Hive Mind with the Infected. The Precursor Hive Mind works like a network of emotions and information that constantly flows back and forth from each precursor, while the Infected Hive Mind is more akin to a massive choir of thousands upon millions of voices in one conjoined song. Precursor Biology The Precursors are twelve purebreed Quil'midas who were found in an xeno ship of unknown origin locked away in stasis traps. These purebreed Quil'midas are the leaders of the Great Tide, and they are the only beings within the Tide that hold no DNA outside of the Quil'midas. Like their infected Kin, Precursors are insectoid and covered in a dark rockish exoskeleton. The majority of their body is covered in the exoskeleton except for their three eyes, and small slits through which they breath and absorb mositure from the air. Lithe and tall, the Precursors stand well above seven feet. Their hands and feet end in sharp talons, four for their hands and two for their feet. Their three eyed visage allows them superior vision, and they are capable of seeing in multiple spectrums of light. Unlike their infected kin Precursors hold innumerable Quil'midas Supercells, cells that act as newly born stem cells, allowing them to heal from nearly any wound or radically change their biology. The Precursors are all heavily powerful psykers that are capable of communicating across vast distances, and when the distance between each other lessens their powers increase. Infected Biology When Quil'midas cells are introduced to foreign biologies they quickly latch onto the weakest links of their DNA chains. The Quil'midas DNA than drastically improves the weak link, which for atleast for a short term effect lessens the Infecteds' biological weakness without any noticable latent dysfunctions. As the cells are improved and infected, the Quil'midas DNA begins to grow in mass. The first true signs of infection are veins and muscles pulsing and writhing beneath the skin when the Infected is in contact with water or in a humid environment . After this their skin becomes just slightly paler and more flushed but no real health issues are occuring. Over the next few months, the nerological command center of the Infected is adapted to send out a weak signal. On it's own, a single infected could never call to a Precursor. But because the Infected is might be spreading the DNA of the Quil'midas to everything they have contact with, the signal is strengthed by the mass of unknowing infected. Once a Precursor arrives to the source of the signal like a moth to a flame, they take mental command of the Infected and force them to it's location. Using the ancient technology they first enslaved to their biology, the Precursor forces the Quil'midas DNA to come to term. However in the case of nonconverted Infected, certain Quil'midas traits will occur even without conversion. Multiple eyes, skin ripping to reveal twitching worm-like muscles, and bones jutting out of rotting skin to form talons on their hands and feet while fangs erupt from their mouths. Once the Quil'midas DNA becomes dominant, full conversion occurs and the individual is lost to the Choir of the Great Tide. In many cases Precursors will also force non-organic matter into their converts to further change their conversion path. Because the technology the Precursors command, they are capable of directly influencing what biological traits and appearances the Infected take once conversion occurs. Borne in the Precursors' perfect image all Quil'midas Converts have the usual insectoid biology that all Quil'midas share. Biomechanical Codex As commanders of biomorphic warfare, the Quil'midas prefer the use of technology that makes heavy use of biomechanical methods or technology that has been absorbed into biological matter. Weapons are in reality just a component of the Quil'midas biology, and Starships are just titanic masses of unintelligent flesh and chitin that follow the mental commands of the Quil'midas. While the Quil'midas are masters of biological weaponry and armor, the majority of their technology is absorbed and stolen from other races. As massive amounts of Quil'midas Cells gather over the technology of those they've conqured and infected even their technology becomes servant to the Great Tide. Spaceships, vehicles, and even weaponry are not safe from the sentient virus that is the Quil'midas. There are few examples of techonology the Quil'midas can't infect, examples of these technologies include those who composition includes necrodermis or wraithbone. Quil'midas Voidships make use of warptravel by forcing their titanic Voidships into the warp with the weight of their collective psychic might, which also provides a temporary Steller Field. The tell-tale sign of a Quil'midas Voidship leaving the warp is the temporary warp rift that occurs when they slam through the barrier between the Material Realm and the Warp. Quil'midas Starships are homologous to hideous cephalopods of metal and flesh, but on a far more massive scale. Quil'midas Ships pull themselves through the void by method of biomechanical solar sails and pure psychic power. Similar to their smaller kin, Quil'midas ships rely on water as a form of energy and commonly carry enough water to fill oceans. Because ships carry water as fuel, and supplies for their living cargo, they are fully capable of supplying themselves with more biomorphic varmints for the Quil'midan Warmachine. The Quil'midas' biomechanical armory is diversy and massive. Ranging from blades and blunt weapons, to firearms that fire living ammunition, and even to weaponry from other species that has been assimilated. Chitin lances, bone maces, and even spiny lashes are common among the Quil'midas Dregs. Firearms that spray out liquid hydrogen fluoride, tiny hook-like larvae that latch and bury into their victim's bodies, or even cannons that fire large gouts of chemical fire. The vast amount of biomorphic weapons the Quil'midas can enhance their Varmints with has earned them the reputation for being especially lethal in combat. Not stopping simply at weaponry, the Quil'midas have also developed large ranges of chitin-like armor of varing strength and flexibility. These biomorphic weapons and "vehicles" are commonly equated to by Imperials to the Tyranids and their own biological technology. Technology Codex Cerebrum Hive Massive neurological hives, the Cerebrum Hive is the center of any Quil'midas Hive. Connected to specific Axon Webs, and their own Precursor, Cerebrum Hives are the method by which the Quil'midas assimilate technology and adapt it to their own needs. Cerebrum Hives are strange organic technological abominations that are run by artifical intelligences. These AI corrupt the technology they assimilate and adapt it to the Quil'midas biology, changing it for their purposes. Cerebrum Hives can be considered battlefield commanders, as by default whenever a Precursor isn't around or doesn't give an order the Quil'midas look to the Cerebrum Hive for their commands. Axon Web Titanic nervous systems, Axon Webs are used by the Quil'midas to turn worlds into Hives and to assimilate the buildings and technology of the world into the Hive. Burrowing deep into the world, Axon Webs parastically take control of the ecosystems of the world. Animals, plants, and even buildings are transformed to better fit the hive. Axon Webs are unable to defend themselves and therefore must be protected by the Quil'midas. Their center is the Cerebrum Hive, and any psychic being can merge themselves with a tendril from the Web to get a direct uplink to the Cerebrum Hive and therefore the massive Hive Mind that is the Quil'midas Soul. Pustulus Womb Essentially the armories of the Quil'midas, Pustulus Wombs are basically large globs of Quil'midas flesh that any infected can enter to be modified. Pustulus Wombs are commonly connected to Deconstruction Lungs and Helix Towers, giving them the raw materials they require to work and the energy required to succesfuly adapt any infected that enter their Womb. Able to merge assimilated technology with Infected, change them in ways to better suit the Precursors, or even merge them with other Infected. Helix Tower Large helix shaped towers, Helix Towers are titantic towers that dwarf even some Imperial Titans. Using their photosynthetic qualities, Helix Towers absorb sunlight and transfer it into energy to be absorbed by the Quil'midas and their biomechanical technology. Physically merged into the Axon Web to destribute this energy to any Quil'midas that merges with the Web or any other "building" connected to the Web. Helix Towers commonly have hundreds of Pustulus Wombs at their base so that they might provide energy for their modifications. Deconstruction Lung Deconstruction Lungs are large sacks of gas and acid that are used to desconstruct technology, minerals, and organics. Commonly hanging from the ceilings of any buildings the Axon Web assimilates, Deconstruction Lungs are used to provde the raw materials used to modify and mutate the Infected. The acids these sacs use are so potent that it would only take a few seconds for a fully armored Space Marine to be dissolved into a puddle. Infected Codex ... Category:Xenos Category:Xenos Species Category:Eye of Anutk